Sterilizing-case for pocket-thermometers.



www

1.P.MORNEAU.. STERILIZING CASE AFOR POCKET THERMOMETERS.

l y Amlcmon m26 mm1. m4. 1,247,440.l rammed Nov. '20, 1917.

- Ywfg. .3.

I /L my JOSEPH P. MORNEAU, OF APPLETON, WISCONSIN.

STERILIZING-CASE FOR POCKET-THERMOMETERS.

Speolneatlon of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

Application tiled Aprll 21, 1814. Serial No. 833,470.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .TosErii P. MonNEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Appleton, in the county of Outagamie and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterilizing- Cases for Pocket-Thermometers, of which the following is a specification.

M invention relates to improvements in 1 steri izing cases for pocket thermometers.

The present invention aims to improve, simplify and render more efiicient the article disclosed in my pending application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 757,171, filed March 27, 1.913, for an improved sterilizing case for pocket thermometers.

A main object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the tube containing the sterilizing liquid may be fastened to the annulus employed in such manner that alcohol, which is preferably employed as the sterilizing medium, cannot efi'ect the fastening by loosening the tube.

A second object of the invention is to provide a sterilizing liquid. and thermometer-retaining tube construction simpler than that employed in the device of said application, and beinl in the nature of a tube of substantially t e same diameter throughout, but which may have interior projections to act as stops and rests for the thermometer basket em loyed, and in either construction of tube, with the basket so constructed as to engage the interior wall of the tube frictonally .so that the basket may be adjusted longitudinally of the tube and remain in ad justed position to accommodate thermometers of different lengths.

A third object is to provide a construction wherein the cap and annulus employed will not adhere or stick to each other to such an extent as to render itdifiioult lto remove the cap from the annulus and to this end to so form the parte that the lower ed e of the cap will not be in contiguous re ation i with the adjacent shoulder of the annulus.

A-fourth definite object .is to provide an effective construct-ion carr ing out. the said first object wherein the tu e containing the sterilizing liquid vmay befastened to the anulus solely by means of. a rubber tube,

A fifth definite object is to provide a detachable chain-attaching ring coperating with the detachable annulus anda sheath 66 employed so as to be fastened in place when the annulus and sheath are fastened together.

The present preferred embodiment of the invention possessing the advantages and a'ttaining the objects set forth, is hereinafter 60 particularly described and is illustrated in accompanying drawings In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the improved article, this construc- 65 l tion employing a sheath and a chain-attachin ring.

"ign 2 is an elevation of the improved device with the sheath and chain-attaching rin omitted.

1 ig. 3 is a vertical sectional view ihroufrh a modified form which may also employ the sheath and ring as shown.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken through the tube illustrated in Fig. 3 75 at he basket-.supporting projections thereof, an

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a modified form.

Referring specifically to the drawings and 80 wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts, and first to Figs.

1 and 2, 1 designates a tube which is closed at the bottom and open at the top and of the same diameter throughout, the tube being .85 made of glass or other transparent material. This tube 1 is fastened to an annulus 2 which has a central bore 3 arranged in elongation of the bore of the tube so that a thermometer 4 may pass through the annulus` and into U0 the tube. The bore 3 at the lower portion of the annulus is enlarged as shown and a shoulder or stop wall 5 is conse( ueiitlv provided. The tube l extends into tiie enlarged portion of bore 3 und abuts against the 96 shoulder or wall Intermediate the annular wall of the enlarged portion of the bore and the outer -wall ofthe tube 1 at its top,

is a flexible or rubber fastening tube 6. This fastening tubeG effectively grips the 100 walls mentioned and maintains the tube 1 effectively fastened to the annulus and due to the fact that the upper edge of the tube 1 abuts against the wal thelsnnulus can,

not be moved onto 'a tube 1 more than the desired extent.

In my pending application Serial Number 757,191, above referred to, the device shown uses cement for fastening the tube for the sterilizing liquid to the annulus. Alcohol is the preferred sterilizing niediniii and alcohol as is well known acts on the cement in such a' way as to loosen the tube. This is a reat objection to he overcome and this objection is overcome by eiuilotying the fastening means consisting o tie rubber tube at (l.

Annulus 2 is reduced at a portion 7 thereof providing a shoulder at 8. Further the annulus 2 has ay reduced exteriorly screw threaded nipple 9 below the reduced portion 7. The screw threads of the nipple 9 are engaged by screw threads 10 of a. protecting sheath 11. lrior to attachment of the sheath a ring 12 may he placed over the reduced' portion 7. This ring 12 may have fastened thereto a link at. ll, or any other suitable means to which a chain or flexible attaching element may be secured. When the ring,r 12 is fastened in ilaee, it will be noted that it is revented from longitudinal movement witi respect to the aimuhis, by means of its engagement with the. shoulder at 8 and engagement with the upper'end of the sheath.

Annulus 2 is further provided with a second reduced exterior] screw threaded nipple as is shown at l. A cap 14 havingr a bore 151s enlarged at its lower end andl provided with screw threads at ltl to detaeliably engage the screw threads of nipple 13. Intermediate the upper end of the nipple 18 and the horizontal wall of the enlargenient of thel cap l-t, which wall may be designated 17, is mounted a gasket 18 of rubber or other suitable material. It will be noted that when the ca 14 is fastened in place as seen in Fig. 1, tie overall length of the nipple 13 and gasket 16 is greater than the len Yth of the. screw threaded wall of tho cap. hus when the ca) is fastened, the saine will not abut at its llower end with the adjacent wall of the annulus which may be for convenience designated itl. '.l`his is a very important feature inasmuch as l have found in actual practice that with a construction wherein tlie lower wall of the cap and a wall of the annulus abut, that the parts adhere or stick and it is sometimes nite difficult to unscrew the cap. By so orming the parts that such walls never contact or abut, this objection is obviated.

Thermometer 4 is merely a conventional form but no matter what form is carried by the article, it is supported so that the same extends throuh tie bore 3, bore of the gasket 18 and ore-15 of the cap, ,in addition to extending lato the tube 1. Asthe means `for supporting 'the thermometer within the tube 1, I employ" o. basket 19 made of a spirally wound wire, for instance awire of silver, several convolutions of which basket are so tensioned as t0 tend to expand and effectively frictionally engage the interior wall of the tube l so as to thereby position the basket. 'Iliis construction enables nie to employ a tube which may be of the same diameter throughout and thereby very cheap to nuinufacture, and a construction wherein the basket or thermometer supporting means may be adjusted longitudnmlly of the tube in order to accoinmodate thermometers of differentlengths. The eonvolutions of the basket 19 do not touch and hence the basket does not reventI the free fiow of liquid within the tu e. Should it be necessary to vary the position of basket 19 iii order to accommodate the thermometers of different lengths, the basket may be engaged by a suitable hook or other instrument and more longitudinally of the tube 1. The basket should support the. thermometer so that the upper end thereof projects beyond the. basket 18 to facilitate gi'ippage by the. fingers pi'ior to removal.

'lube 1 is adapted to contain a suitable quantity of sterilizing liquid, for instance alcohol, and the portion of the tube beyond the basket 19 serves as a. reservoir for the liquid which should thoroughly immerse the thermometer upon sterilization. 'lhe sterilization is effected by inversion of the tube 1 one or more times. An air tight joint of the ea i with the annulus is irovided and is desira ile. so that leakage will not occur and volatilization of the alcohol will not: talco ilace. 'llie tube 1 may be of any desired ength and is preferably of such length' that it will contain a quantity of the steriliziiig liquid sullicient to last several days.

Sheath 11 may be transparent or opaque as desired and made of any suitable material. Suitable windows or sight openings may be provided in the sheath at 20 in order that the. depth of subinergence of the thermoineter may he observed aiid also in order that the quantity of liquid within the tube ma v be observed.

s the sheath 11 is merely for the purpose of iroteeting the tube 1, the sheath ,may be i ispensed with in which event the article wou d appear as seen in Fig. 2. As the iai-ts of Fig. 2 are similar to the parts of Iig. 1, the numerals used in connection vith citig. 1 are also used in connection with Pi u.

fn Figs. 8 and 4 a modified form is shown. Except with respect to the steriliz-ing liquid containing tube, which in this figure is designated 21, the other parts are exactly similar to those of Fig. 1 and therefore the same reference numerals have been applied thereto. This liquid contalnin tube 21 is provided with one or more in cotationsl in order to form projections o r rests 22in- 11al I in the tube teriorly of the tube in order that the basket 19 may rest thereon, at one of its convolutions, and mountl the basket in one position against movement to an improper depth into the sterilizin liquid.

A further mo ification is shown in Fig. 5. This figure merely illustrates the transfer of the nipple 1B of the annulus as seen in Fig. 1, to the cap. In this figure the cap is designated 22, the nip )le which is the equivalent of nipple 13 is esigiiated 28 and the annulus is designated 24.

Various modifications in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from tie spirit and scope of the invention.

Ilavin thus described my said invention, what I cliiim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A sterilizing case having a tube to contain a sterilizing medium, and an article supporting device within the tube expansible Vat 'its outer ed e to frietionally engage the innerv wall of t ie tube, said device being adjustable longitudinally of the tube to enable the tube to. accommodate articles of dilerent lengths and the frictional engagement of the supporting device serving to maintain the device in adjusted positions.

2. A sterilizing case having a tube to contain a sterilizing medium an article supporting device within the tube expansible at its outer edge to frictionally engage the inner wall of the tube, said devicebeing adjustable longitudinally of the tube to enable the tube to accommodate articles of different lengths, the frictional engagement of the supportingr device and tube serving to maintain the supporting device in adjusted positions, and means extending interiorly of the tube intermediate its ends to limit the movement of the device in one direction.

3. A sterilizing case having a tube to contain a sterilizing medium, an article suporting device frictionally supported withsaid device being adjustable longitudinally of the tube to enable the tube to accommodate articles of different lengths, and said tube being indented to provide a projection extending interiorly of the tube to limit the depth of movement of the device within the tube.

4. A sterilizing case having a tube to contain a sterilizing medium, and an article su porting device within the tube frictional y engaging the inner face of the tubular wall of the tube consisting 'of a helical wire with the convolutions non-contiguous, said device being adjustable longitudinally of the tube to enable the tube to accommodate articles of different lengths, the frictional enga ement between the su porting device and t e inner wall of the tribe serving to maintain the article supporting device in different positions.

,device being adjustable longitudinally of the tube to enable the tube to accommodate articles of different lengths.

6. A thermometer'case comprising a receptacle of a length greater than the thermometer to be incased to n'ovide a space beyond the extent of said thermometer and in the lower end of said receptacle as a liquid chamber, said receptacle having a conand said tube striction at the proximate point of greater downward extent of the thermometer therein and a basket received within said receptacle and held by said constrictcd portion to receive the lower end of said thermometer and support the same against side and downward movement.

7. A thermometer case comprising a receptacle in the form of a sin le closed ended tube of a greater length tian the extreme extent of the thermometer and provided with an inwardly extending shoulder at the proximate point of the inward extent of the thermometer therein, and an open-work spirally wrapped wire basket frictionally held 4within saidA receptacle against the shoulder to receive the lower end of the thermometer and hold said thermometer against downward and side movement and yet permit the free passage of liquid to all parts of the receptacle.

8. A thermometer case comprisin a receptacle in the form of a single close ended tube of a greater length than the extreme extent of the thermometer and provided with an inwardly extending shoulder at the proximate point of the inward extent of the thermometer, an open work spirally wrapped wire basket frictionally held within said receptacle against'the shoulder to receive the lower end of the thermometer and hold said thermometer against downward and side movement and yet permit the free passage of liquid to all parts of the receptacle, and a protective covering secured around said receptacle, and provided with longitudinally extending slots forming windows to permit observation of the'liquid chamber and the thermometer chamber provided within the receptacle.

9. A thermometer ease comprising a receptacle of a length greater than the thermometer to be ineased and eonstricted to have an inner projecting shoulder at a point proximate the inner extent of the thermometer to thus form a thermometer chamber and a liquid chamber, and a spirally do'plemddhinfpue'nf:nmbmobtained-.fntfhroonh calchi, bruik,"

wmp ed in'vertedl oonershaped basket re- Inztestmon wHereofILax. uive. wlthmthohmiwmoto cllmmbery t? invpresenco o twowitneesesvmw against said siou eri wit1.t o apex-o v said basket, dsposedin'a relutionAto rcoivo A 'JOSEPH MORNEAU 5 the lower 'end of1 the then'nometerwndnsu Witnesses:

port thesame aganstr downward andrei e' CARL Russ,l

mnvemem.l Gum, MonNmU.-

my: signature 

